Honda Gold WingNeil Vorano/The Globe and Mail
Forty years ago, Pierre Trudeau was Canada's prime minister, Saturday Night Live hit the TV airwaves for the first time – and the world was introduced to a motorcycle that created the touring-bike genre and would become one of the most well-known nameplates: the Honda Gold Wing.
Debuting in 1975 as the GL1000, this Gold Wing sported the first water-cooled, flat-four-cylinder engine from Honda. It was a naked bike, and it wasn't until Honda saw the popularity of aftermarket body-kit sales that it developed the shrouded look in 1980 that we know today. Since that first redesign, it's gone through three more iterations, sold more than 650,000 bikes and gained two more cylinders, more sophistication and luxury, and a cult-like following rarely seen with any other motorcycle model.
"We constantly use the Gold Wing as our standard," Ray Garris, a long-time rider, says. "I see the advantages and disadvantages of other bikes, but I think the overall comfort and satisfaction from all these years with the Gold Wing, that's hard to beat."
Garris is the director of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA), based in Phoenix. Founded in 1977, Garris says today it numbers more than 65,000 members worldwide, with most in North America. It's a social group: along with local and national gatherings, its "Gold Book" – with members' names and contact details – means a rider can find free places to stay along a road trip.
"It becomes a lifestyle," Garris says. "You ask anyone in our group across the country, 90 per cent of the people on their contact lists are all out of the Gold Wing group."
The 74-year-old bought his first Gold Wing in 1984 and fell in love with its cushy ride, and not just for himself. "When you have a passenger who will actually fall asleep – I wake her up when it's time to stop – that's comfort."
Michel Lavoi, an RCMP sergeant in Ottawa and an instructor and master rider with the GWRRA chapter covering Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, bought his first Gold Wing in 2001. "For me, the Wing was better for my type of riding," he says. "I like all the amenities on the bike, the comfort – passenger comfort even more than my own. The power is there, the frame is excellent, the seating position is like you're sitting in the bike instead of on it. And also the reliability – I know people who have more than 500,000 miles on theirs.
"If someone wants to do a lot of riding in comfort, there is no other bike on the market like it. And I'm speaking about what I know, because I've tried other bikes."
To commemorate the anniversary, Honda has a special-edition Gold Wing featuring a tri-colour design and other small changes for $31,999. Blasting down the highway, it's easy to see the appeal of this 405-kilogram behemoth. This GL1800 version debuted in 2001 with a 1,832-cubic-centimetre flat-six good for 118 horsepower – not a huge number for a bike this large. But it's the 125 lb-ft of torque that you feel, and a sharp twist of the throttle in first gear can be a harrowing experience. In fact, you can avoid first and even second gear altogether with the five-speed gearbox, it's got that much torque.
For such a large bike, it's also surprisingly easy to toss in corners. But it's on the open road where it really shines; the suspension soaks up bumps and vibrations, the engine cruises at a low 3,000 rpm and there's almost no wind buffeting with the tall windscreen and fairing. An array of buttons on the fairing and handlebars worthy of a nuclear power facility control the radio, CB, navigation system, seat heaters and a myriad of other features.
This version debuted almost 15 years ago, and it's had additions such as an air bag and navigation systems in that time. However, the Gold Wing is long in the tooth and missing a few features of newer rivals, such as a power windscreen and traction control. Honda won't say when the next generation will debut, but Lavoi isn't worried about his bike falling behind the competition.
"They've had many improvements over the years, and I think Honda is ready to change the overall appearance," he says. "Having said that, I know that nothing is perfect, but this bike is pretty close."
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